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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24149419">Shinra's Iron Grip</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZuoTheUndergroundLionFish/pseuds/ZuoTheUndergroundLionFish'>ZuoTheUndergroundLionFish</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Guilt, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 19:14:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,058</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24149419</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZuoTheUndergroundLionFish/pseuds/ZuoTheUndergroundLionFish</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Zack defies all the odds and manages to take the army down. Severely wounded, he somehow manages to return to his flower girl. She takes care of him and helps him get back onto his feet.</p><p>After getting nourished back to health, he is consumed by guilt. He is torn between two promises and knows that he can't take care of both.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Zack Fair/Aerith Gainsborough</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Zack! Where were you?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Silently, he crumbled to his knees. Still trembling from the overexertion and his wounds, he couldn't hold his sword any longer. It hit the ground with a distinct chink as he looked around.</p><p>It took a bit of time for his eyes to take in all the bodies that laid waste in front of him. Noticing the destruction he has caused, he couldn’t stop himself from chuckling a little. He killed them all. He couldn't do anything but admire his victory.</p><p>He sat there for a bit, waiting for his death. He used up every last potion that he found along the way to heal his wounds during the fight, so his bag was completely useless. Unless Zack used an antidote to try to heal himself. He chuckled a bit before finally dropping face first to the ground. Blood pooled around him as he slowly closed his eyes.</p><p>Nothing happened at first. Then he felt something. Someone. Roaming around his body.</p><p>The initial feeling o discomfort slowly faded away. Sounds of boot against gravel. A comically long sigh.</p><p>"Boy oh boy, didn't we skrew up? We really shouldn't have taken the mission."</p><p>Heaven. That's where he was.</p><p>"Heaven? Oh no, we are far away from that. You see, you're not dead yet. You are just bleeding out. What I suggest is that you get your ass back home before you do die."</p><p>That voice sounded familiar, and when he opened his eyes again, he realized that it vanished. He turned his head towards Cloud. He was still there.</p><p>He wasn’t done yet. He tried to stand up, but he only managed to trip face first again into the rocky landscape. He groaned as all the adrenaline started to withdraw. All the bullet wounds prevented him from moving too fast.</p><p>Once he did get up, every single movement was arduous. Every step was painful. He saw Cloud a small distance away, but he knew that if he bent over to pick him up, he would trip for sure. And if he tripped, he knew that he wouldn't be able to get back up.</p><p>He couldn't save him. And if he tried, they would both die. Letting out another groan, he turned around and made his way back to Midgar. He would come back for Cloud once he got back to Aerith.</p><p>_____</p><p>Aerith was taking care of her flowers when she heard someone moving towards her church. Listening closely, she realized that the footing was uneven. Way too uneven. It couldn’t be a Turk nor a trooper. That picked her interest. No one roams around her church. She slowly walked towards the entrance until she heard a small croak coming. It only said one word.</p><p>“Aerith!”</p><p>That word was spoken with such intensity that she knew instantly that it wasn’t any Turk. It couldn’t be anyone but Zack.</p><p>“Where… are you?”</p><p>Aerith panicked as she ran towards the entrance. Zack, after a few weeks of starvation and unhealed wounds, finally gave in. He crumbled once again, but this time, with no intentions of getting back up again. </p><p>She quickly rushed to his side. He was so injured that she did not understand how he was still breathing. Trembling, she took out her cure Materia and started healing him as best as her trembling hands would let her.</p><p>“Come on Zack, please stay with me!”</p><p>He looked at her and slowly let out a small smile. </p><p>“I thought you weren’t there. I thought that you moved.”</p><p>She felt tears slowly forming into her eyes. The planet was right.</p><p>“Zack, don't leave me now”</p><p>Aerith wiped her tears as Zack smiled weakly.</p><p>“I'll try not to,” he said as he slowly raised his hand to her face. </p><p>“Just hold on a bit, you’ll be alright.”</p><p>Zack’s face relaxed a bit as he brushed her hair.</p><p>“I know I will. I trust you.”</p><p>She felt his fingers massaging her cheeks. </p><p>“Stop moving. It’s only going to get worse.”</p><p>Zack let out a small chuckle.</p><p>“I know it will.”</p><p>He let out a small groan as he felt darkness slowly taking over the last bit of his vision.</p><p>"I just wanted to see you again."</p><p>And those were the last things he could do before the pain took him under.</p><p>_____</p><p>She felt his hand go limp first.</p><p>He was unconscious for almost a week, and every single day, Aerith was sitting next to him, tending to his wounds. She wasn’t letting go of him now.</p><p>It was nearing dawn when he finally woke up. Aerith was sleeping right next to him: she was exhausted from all the magic that she conjured these past days. He took a bit of time to take everything in.</p><p>He slowly reached for her shoulder, making sure that it wasn’t just a figment of his imagination. Sure enough, he felt the rough surfaces of the dress. He let out a silent groan. He was alive.</p><p>He was alive. </p><p>She was here.</p><p>He let a small yelp when he tried to get back up. He might be alive, but all the pain was still fully present. Realizing that it was a bit more than what he bargained for,  he decided to lay back down for a bit. It would be better than falling to the ground and passing out.</p><p>He looked at her and quietly admired her beauty. She was no longer wearing the same clothes that she wore to their last date. No. She was now just wearing a fluffy pink dress. He slowly moved his hands up to her face, repressing the waves of pain coming from his ribs. A smile crept onto his face as he saw that she still had the ribbon. The pink ribbon that he bought her to celebrate their friendship.</p><p>He slowly rubbed her cheeks. She was so pretty when she was asleep. Actually, she was always pretty. No matter what she does</p><p>Then reality hit him. He knew he couldn’t stay with Aerith. What would Shinra do if they realized that he wasn’t dead? They’ve sent a quarter of their army once, what would stop them from sending the rest. With the Wutai war on hold, their troopers are doing absolutely nothing, with no assignments and nothing to fight against. Not only that, but he left his Buster Sword in the outskirts of Midgar. He would be completely unarmed against hundreds of soldiers. He cursed as he realized that he couldn’t stay with Aerith, no matter how much he wanted to. He couldn’t afford the endanger their lives with his presence. He had to leave yet again. He looked at her carefully, examining every detail as he slowly set his mind to it.</p><p>But then, he did just kill a quarter of their army. Maybe that would deter them from sending too many troopers to their certain deaths. They surely wouldn’t want to be defenceless if the Wutai attacked again. He can only hope that they’d just let him be.</p><p>He sighed and realized that everything was just another hopeless daydream. He had to leave as soon as possible. He slowly got up from the bed, holding back the groan, trying to make as little noise as possible. But it wasn’t enough. With his still sluggish movements and broken ribs, he hit a corner of the door with his foot, making a loud crash.</p><p>Aerith woke up with a jump and looked at Zack with a puzzled expression on her face.</p><p>“Zack, you’re awake! Why are you standing up? The wounds haven’t healed yet!”</p><p>How was he going to wiggle his way out of this?</p><p>“Um, good morning Aerith”, Zack said, trying to be natural. The bullet wounds in his lungs didn't help.</p><p>“You need to rest up!”</p><p>She had a point, but he can’t do that.</p><p>“I’m thirsty, I’m going downstairs to get some water.“</p><p>Aerith looked at him suspiciously. Ignoring her stare, he walked out of her room. Zack felt like someone stabbed him in the chest as he walked downstairs . He no longer could run away, especially with Aerith now aware of his movements.</p><p>He sighed again as he went downstairs. He poured a bit of water in a cup and drank it.. He never realized how thirsty he was until he started drinking. Maybe this was for a drink after all, he thought as he gobbled another cup.</p><p>Then guilt hit him like a sledgehammer. Cloud. He left his friend on the outskirts of the city. He ran and never turned back. He had to go find him. God, he thought to himself, why am I such a coward. Where did honour go? Where did his SOLDIER experiences go?</p><p>As he was coming up with an extraction plan for Cloud, Aerith came down the stairs. She pulled her arms around Zack, clenching onto him as if he would disappear again. </p><p>It took her just a few seconds to realise how much Zack changed. His eyes were no longer glimmering with life and hope, his movements were sluggish and abnormal. She felt sad when she thought of all the things that could have happened to him. She couldn’t keep it in anymore. Her own imagination would drive her insane.</p><p>“Zack?”</p><p>“Yea?”</p><p>“What’s happened these last four years?”</p><p>Zack wasn’t surprised. He had to answer this one day or later. No one comes back after four years expecting no one to notice. He explained everything to her. She listened patiently.</p><p>As she was listening, she couldn’t stop herself from noticing Zack’s stiffness and hatred when he mentioned Shinra. She couldn’t blame him. From what he described, they did do a lot of awful things to him. But then, he used to love it. He used to praise Shinra with a passion. Four years in an underground prison really does something to a man, even as strong as Zack.</p><p>She also noticed his uncertainty when he talked about his friend Cloud. The only time he was sadder than right now was when he had to kill his old mentor. What if he had to… No. She pushed the ideas out of her mind. He wouldn’t do that. He couldn’t possibly do it again.</p><p>Once Zack was finished, Aerith looked back into his lifeless eyes. She shuttered in pain. He might have come back to life, but something wasn’t right.</p><p>“Hey Zack, what’s going on?”, she hesitantly asked.</p><p>“I missed you”</p><p>“I’m right here”, she said as she touched his cheeks.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Zack blurted out, “I’m so sorry.”</p><p>Aerith couldn’t stand watching him in pain any longer as she pulled Zack in a tight embrace. “Don’t be. We are both here. That’s all that counts, right?”. She giggled a bit to remove some tension. </p><p>Zack looked up at her and felt a smile creeping up on his face. He lifted his hand and caressed her face. She had to pounce now.</p><p>“Come to think about it, we haven’t dated for a long time. What do you think about today?”</p><p>She looked up and saw life returning to his face. A grin soon replaced his smile as his eyes glowed again.</p><p>“Sure”, he said as he got up, relieved that Aerith wasn’t mad at him. Aerith was also relieved. She kissed him on his cheek and let go of him.</p><p>But then, how could he leave now? Now that they were going on dates again. But… he needed to. He couldn’t take the gamble.</p><p>“Hey Aerith, I need to tell you something. I.. need to leave again.”</p><p>She was caught off-guard by that statement and looked at him with a baffled look. She saw the amount of pain that he was trying to hide and knew that he didn’t want to leave either. That look completely and utterly broke whatever anger Aerith was holding. She could only try to keep him with her. To keep him from leaving for now. She couldn’t live with herself if he got hurt again and didn’t survive, especially after he just went through.</p><p>“But you aren’t healthy yet, you are still tired! You need to eat and take a shower!” she said, desperately trying to make him stay.</p><p>Zack sighed and silently agreed. What if Cloud was taken by Hojo’s team again? To rescue him again, he needed to move without feeling stiff and also needed to get a new sword.</p><p>“And also you smell terrible!”, added Aerith with a grin.</p><p>Zack also grinned as he pulled Aerith in close.</p><p>“I missed you”</p><p>“So did I”</p><p>They looked at each other for a good while until Aerith noticed the clock. She had to get moving if you wanted to stay on schedule.</p><p>“But you really do smell terrible” protested Aerith to get him to move again.</p><p>“Are you already tiring of me?” teased Zack while faking a hurt look.</p><p>“I’ll make a meal for us”, Aerith cheerfully added.</p><p>Zack went into the bathroom as Aerith cooked a meal. Once they both finished, Aerith left some food and a note for her mother. The note explained to her she was taking Zack around sector five and that they should be back at before nightfall. They ate their meals while chatting and laughing together.</p><p>_______</p><p>After they finished eating, Aerith convinced Zack to come with her to the church. She told him he could just watch her work, but they both knew that Zack couldn’t let Aerith work by herself. That’s why when Zack eventually accepted, Aerith smiled a little, as Zack admitted defeat.</p><p>Their journey to the church was uneventful but filled with laughter as the couple joked around. When they arrived at the church, Aerith quickly bend down to treat her flowers with some water and fertiliser. Zack followed her, cursing himself for not being able to say no to Aerith.</p><p>”So Zack, where is Cloud?”</p><p>Zack froze for a moment before brushing it off and pretended like nothing happened. Aerith did not miss that gesture. She stopped fertilising and looked at Zack.</p><p>”You left with Cloud and returned without. What happened?” Aerith took Zack’s face between her hands. Zack couldn’t face her eyes. It hurt too much. Everything hurts too much. He couldn’t face her eyes, fearing they would burn down every resolve he had inside of him.</p><p>Then he felt Aerith’s hands fall from his face. He felt relief and desire at the same time. Those feelings didn’t last long, as Aerith’s arms pulled him into a loving embrace.</p><p>They sat there for a few minutes, Aerith with her arms around Zack’s head and Zack slowly breathing in her flowery scent. He can’t escape his past no matter how hard he tried. Tears ran down his face as slowly choked up. Aerith noticed this as she pulled Zack even closer to her body.</p><p>Zack eventually calmed down. He looked up and realised that it was already noon. He has been crying for a few hours now. Aerith still had her arms around him. Breathing in one last breath, he had to explain where he needed to go. He can’t leave her with nothing again.</p><p>”Aerith…”</p><p>”Zack?”</p><p>”I left Cloud in the fields north of Midgar”</p><p>”And we need to go find him, right?”</p><p>”No, I need to find him. It was my fault. I can’t drag you into this.”</p><p>”Don’t you even think about going alone.”</p><p>Zack finally looked at Aerith. She was just as persistent as usual. No matter what he says, she will be set on following him wherever he goes. But he couldn’t let her. The smartest thing now would be to let everything go. For now.</p><p>”Alright”, said Zack as he gave her a lingering kiss.</p><p>Aerith looked very puzzled. She knew that convincing Zack is a lot harder than just a few words: he was just as stubborn as she was.  She suspected something else, but needed to let go for now as well.</p><p>”How about we eat?”</p><p>”I’m starving” agreed Zack.</p><p>She took out the meals she prepared for them, and they ate still enterlaced together.</p><p>Zack knew he needed a job. He couldn’t depend on Aerith selling flowers. He also knew that it was best for him to lie low, so he couldn’t go sell flowers with Aerith since it would be right in front of Shrinra’s face. What could he do? He realised that his fighting skills were only useful in Shinra. Where else would his fighting skills be admired?</p><p>Then it hit him. Shinra rarely cares about the slums, and there was a specific place that loves fighting. The arena in Wall Market. He could make tons from it. Enough to maybe afford a decent sword.</p><p>He also knew that Aerith wouldn’t let him do that. She would pretend that she could make enough money to support all three of them. Even if she could, Zack couldn’t be able to live with himself if that was the case. He couldn't let her suffer and he had to think about the future. How long could her flowers support the three of them?</p><p>As they were eating, Zack convinced Aerith that it would be best for him to stay in the slums. She understood the risks, and even if she was suspicious, she left him with some flower work before going topside to sell her flowers.</p><p>Zack knew that she wouldn’t be back until 6 o'clock at the earliest, so that means he had the entire afternoon before she came back. He quickly finished the work she left him and left for Wall Market in a hurry.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Since its my first fanfic, I would love criticism.</p><p>Thanks again for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The day before everything goes to hell</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Looking around Wall Street, he never realized how insanely populated it was. Even in broad daylight, people are going around taking care of their businesses. It might not be as blooming as it would be at night, but for a place that entertains, there was way more than what he expected. He looked around in awe as the place was a lot larger than he had once known.</p><p>He’s only been in the colosseum once, and he immediately got kicked out because of his SOLDIER uniform. They hate Shinra down here, so they wouldn’t cave if Shinra went down here and asked them about any suspicious activity. All the better for him and his lying low.</p><p>Even if the last time he was here was quite a few years ago, he could still make his way to the colosseum with little to no guidance. After a quick chat and preliminaries, he was quickly matched with a couple of bandits.</p><p>The bandits were quick, but it didn’t matter. Their attacks were weak and inefficient. After he understood their strategy, he easily took them down with a counterattack and a few punches.</p><p>He might be slow, but he still had most of his strength.</p><p>The next few matches were just as easy and he was soon facing a Shinra war machine.</p><p>In his normal state, he would have beat them within a few seconds, but since he didn’t have his sword and that he was weak and slow from his previous fight with the Shinra army, he struggled a lot more than he would have thought.</p><p>The war machine was quick. Almost quicker than him in his worn-down state. Zack only realized that he should really start focusing when one of his blades almost hit his head. He ducked just in time, but not before the blade chipped off a bit of his hair.</p><p>“You need to try harder than that, buddy,” taunted Zack as he lunged forward.</p><p>The rest of the fight was still one-sided, but Zack was pretty exhausted when he finally crushed the robot. The gatekeeper was absolutely stunned as he congratulated him on his success. No one could beat that robot for quite a few years.</p><p>He grinned a little before saluting his newly found fans. He spent the next few hours winning matches and collecting rewards. He soon got enough money to afford a decent sword and some extra for the date that Aerith promised him. He left the arena and went back up.</p><p>Wandering around Wall Market, he was looking for a weapons shop. The only one that he occasionally visited was the one in Shinra HQ, so he didn’t know where he could get a new sword. After about half an hour of wandering around, he found the store. It wasn’t something big, so it wasn’t surprising that he missed it on his first walk through the place. He was expecting something just as big as the one that Shinra owned, be he should have known that only Shinra has enough money to afford something like that. He chatted a bit with the store owner and soon left with his newly acquired sword. It wasn’t something special, but it should do for rescuing Cloud.</p><p>He arrived at the church before Aerith came back. He waited for a bit, but seeing that Aerith wouldn’t arrive for a while, he decided to start fixing the hole he made while falling down through the roof. It wasn’t easy, but the memory of it brought a grin back to his face. That certainly felt like a lifetime ago. He held onto that memory as he took care of the rest of the roof.</p><p>Aerith came back with a smile plastered on her face before calling out to Zack. He looked down from the roof and when he saw her, decided, against his best judgement, to jump down. Because of his original injuries and the new ones from the colosseum, he tripped on one of the planks and fell straight on his back. It knocked the air out of his chest, but he quickly brushed it off with a laugh. Aerith soon joined him and started giggling.</p><p>“That’s twice you fell into my flowers,” teased Aerith</p><p>Zack looked around and realized that she was right. He fell directly into the flower bed again.</p><p>”I’m sorry, I didn‘t mean to!”</p><p>Aerith laughed again as she brushed his cheeks.</p><p>”Of course you didn’t”</p><p>He pretended to roll off the flowers, but instead bumped into Aerith, causing her to let out a small scream. She fell right on Zack and he instantly wrapped his hands around her. Aerith blushed to his touch.</p><p>”I’m sorry Aerith, it was an honest mistake”</p><p>They both laughed a bit before cuddling up next to each other. They stayed together for a bit until Aerith remembered why she was so happy.</p><p>”Zack, remember the date you promised me?”</p><p>”I don’t, I thought you promised me a date,” corrected Zack.</p><p>Aerith gave his shoulder a little punch, and they both laughed a little.</p><p>”What’s the difference?”</p><p>”Nothing, I just wanted to be right for once”</p><p>They both laughed as Aerith gave him another punch. They both know that she was always right.</p><p>”Boo hoo”</p><p>”Hey, I’m just being realistic! You are always right.”</p><p>“Do you want that date or not?” Aerith teased.</p><p>”Of course I do!”, Zack said with a defensive stance.</p><p>Aerith giggled again, causing a confused look from Zack. They stayed together, breathing in each other’s aroma, hoping it could last forever, but they both knew that it was due to end soon. Aerith was the first to break the silence.</p><p>”Hey Zack, if you want that date, you might want to get off of my flowerbed.”</p><p>Zack just realized that he was still on her flowerbed. He panicked as he hurried off of it. Aerith giggled once again at Zack’s defensive look.</p><p>”I’m sorry Aerith, I forgot about the flowers”</p><p>”I think I deserve a better apology than I forgot”.</p><p>Aerith gave him a frustrated look, but it just made her look much cuter than actually threatening. Zack went in and kissed her on the cheek.</p><p>”How about this?”</p><p>She was caught by surprise and blush invaded her face. She realized how much she missed him until now. She soon caught herself again.</p><p>”I guess that works”</p><p>”I guess?” exclaimed Zack,” I moved heaven and earth for that kiss!”</p><p>That caused her to giggle a bit.</p><p>“That works, how about this?”</p><p>“Much better”, he said with an exaggerated sigh.”Now back to our date that you promised me.”</p><p>_____________</p><p>He realized that the date was just a pretext to get him to help her carry the flowers to the orphanage. He can’t really complain though. Every second with her was a second well spent, and after what happened these last four years, he really could do with more time.</p><p>They chatted and joked while they were walking towards the orphanage. Zack received quite a few punches in the process and Aerith was getting more and more flustered. They were both giggling together when they finally arrived at the orphanage. The looks that the director sent the couple made Aerith blush and Zack awkward as they both stopped laughing.</p><p>Zack wanted to stay outside while Aerith went inside, but she wouldn’t let him.</p><p>”How is this a date if you’re alone?”, Aerith teased.</p><p>Zack sighed, but couldn’t disagree. He could use the extra time with her.</p><p>They brought an entire cart of flowers, so there were a bunch of things to take care of. They went inside and spent the next hour placing flowers and talking to the orphans. The kids were great and loved their company. They even helped them take care of the flowers until the director had to come in to tuck them to bed.</p><p>“But they aren’t done with the flowers yet!” the kids riposted.</p><p>The director sent a questioning look towards Aerith before allowing them another half an hour to help the couple finish up. He was a kind man and appreciated their help, but he also cared about the children’s health and well-being.</p><p>Another half-hour passed and the kids were purposefully trying to help as slowly as possible to stay with them for as long as possible. They knew that if they didn't finish, they would be allowed to continue talking with them.</p><p>Aerith appreciated the kids, but Zack was getting tired. He loved the kids but after everything that happened today, the only thing that he wants is to fall asleep.</p><p>She saw Zack’s expression and told the kids to go to sleep and that they would take care of the rest.</p><p>Once they were finished, the only thing that Zack wanted was sleep. A lot of sleep.</p><p>Aerith saw the exhausted look on Zack’s face and couldn’t suppress a giggle.</p><p>”What’s so funny?”</p><p>Aerith looked at his face and giggled again.</p><p>”How are you not exhausted after all of this?”</p><p>”I am, but you just look way worse than I would have thought”</p><p>”Shutup” Zack grumbled.</p><p>Aerith laughed as Zack pulled out his tongue at her.</p><p>”Come on, let’s go home”</p><p>Zack was absolutely exhausted after all that happened today. He was barely able to get to his room before collapsing on his bed and falling asleep.</p><p>Aerith looked at Zack’s sleeping form and admired him. She could have stayed there for the rest of the night, but she needed the sleep if she wanted to stay on schedule tomorrow. Suppressing a silent grunt, she turned in for the day.</p><p>________</p><p>Zack never had nightmares. Never. From the day he was born, he never had a single nightmare. In the worst-case scenario, he just wouldn’t dream. But not today.</p><p>Zack looked ahead in fear as to what might happen. He saw nothing at first. Then a screech pierced his eardrums and the empty room filled with light. Squinting his eyes and suppressing a grunt, he could only make out a silhouette. Then the brightness slowly settled down as he saw who it was.</p><p>Aerith.</p><p>She was strapped onto a table facing directly towards him. She was alive but looked deeply troubled. The worst part is that she didn’t notice him at all. She couldn’t hear Zack’s screams as another silhouette made his way into the light.</p><p>It was Hojo.</p><p>And he wasn’t alone.</p><p>He had an assortment of tools ranging from scalpels to chainsaws with him. Zack felt anger as he rushed forward, only to succumb to an invisible wall preventing him from attacking the mad scientist.</p><p>He could make out the smirk on his face as he took one of the more dangerous looking knives and slowly walked towards Aerith. He felt his heart tighten as he knew what was going to happen.</p><p>He wanted to turn away, but he somehow couldn’t even manage that. He tried to close his eyes to shield himself from what was going to happen, but there was an invisible force keeping them open.</p><p>Hojo gave a quick maniacal laugh before sinking the knife into her chest.</p><p>Pain.</p><p>It was the only thing he felt as Aerith’s scream pierced through the silence.</p><p>And then Hojo stabbed her.</p><p>Again<br/>
And<br/>
Again</p><p>Zack felt every single stab. Aerith’s screams rang louder and louder as Hojo laughed again. Blood dripped down her body as Zack fought against the invisible wall.</p><p>Hojo continued to stab her as her screams took over Zack’s mind. The only thing that he could do was to cuddle in a ball while waiting for everything to stop.</p><p>He fought to keep the tears inside of himself as Aerith’s screams continued.</p><p>Hours passed then suddenly, silence.</p><p>Aerith’s sobs eventually started and Zack was too weak to fight against it. He slowly looked up and couldn’t see Hojo anymore, but the sight of Aerith made him panic once again. He needed to get to her.</p><p>He ran towards her, readying himself to fight against the wall that had been holding him back. The wall never came. Arriving next to Aerith, he could see the damage Hojo had done. He wanted to save her, but the cold wall was back, preventing him from touching Aerith.</p><p>Tears ran down his face once again. And then he felt her arm grabbing onto him. It wasn’t her usual gentle touch. It was cold and harsh. He was surprised as she started speaking.</p><p>“Why didn’t you save me earlier?”</p><p>Her voice pierced his skull as he put his hands around his head again.</p><p>“Why couldn’t you do anything?”</p><p>Her sobs were punches as she cried even more. His hands weren’t able to block her voice. Her sweet voice was plagued with hurt and anger. He felt his mind collapsing as her voice rang again.</p><p>“If only you were quicker, I could have survived.”<br/>
_______</p><p>Zack woke up with Aerith’s green eyes staring at him. He felt a concoction of sweat and tears running down his face as he convinced himself that what he saw wasn’t real. Aerith was next to him. He would be all right.</p><p>“Nightmares?”</p><p>He felt sick as Aerith’s concerned look revived part of his dream.</p><p>“Yeah”</p><p>“Want to talk about it?”</p><p>He thought about telling her everything, but he knew she would freak out.</p><p>“Not now. Maybe morning.”</p><p>Aerith looked at him for a bit before crawling in the bed with him. He half-heartedly protested, but deep inside he knew that knowing that Aerith was next to him will help him sleep.</p><p>Aerith put her hands around Zack as she looked into his mako infused eyes. He looked scared. She pulled him in even closer as Zack finally put his hand around her. He took in a deep inhale of her smell as he kissed her forehead.</p><p>She stayed awake, protecting him from his nightmares, as Zack finally fell asleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And I am done with chapter 2!</p><p>Yay!</p><p>Also feel free to give me any sort of criticism, it helps me improve my writing style.</p><p>Thanks for reading chapter 2 and have a nice day</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. A Promise Is a Promise</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zack woke up a bit earlier than usual and noticed Aerith still sleeping next to him. He was very glad for her intervention and he debated whether to stay with her just a bit longer. Sadly, he knew that he couldn’t delay his search anymore, nor could he afford to have her wake up.</p><p>As he got up and started moving, he was glad to notice that his muscles were no longer sore. He sighed in relief, it would make his sneaking around the house a lot easier. As he went downstairs, he thought about leaving her a note. He had to stop himself since he couldn’t afford Aerith to come looking for him once she does wake up. Holding back another sigh, he looked around for his weapon and Materia before finally leaving the house.</p><p>He can’t keep pushing it further. He had to know whether Cloud was dead or captured. Guilt twisted his stomach as he thought about the possibility of seeing a lifeless body waiting for him. Shinra couldn’t possibly kill Cloud, right? He couldn’t defend himself, so what good would killing Cloud be for Shinra?</p><p>Maybe they would, just to spite him. Just to torture his soul while watching him struggle to keep Aerith safe. As some sort of cruel message. His anger kept rising as he walked. No one would do that, right? All the Shinra scientists would, in the worst-case scenario, pick him up for further experimentation. He knew that from experience. If that’s the case, that also means that he would be able to find Cloud again. It would just be a matter of time.</p><p>Chances are that a Turk would have found Cloud before the scientists could. They roamed this area whereas the scientists only stayed in the labs. They would never kill him and would let anyone else near him since they knew that they were friends. They knew how much Zack cared for Cloud. They knew what he might do if Cloud died. His anger slowly died back down, and he shuttered at how cold the morning breeze felt. All the guilt and anger that was protecting him from the cold faded away, and he now wished that he was wearing something more than just a simple T-shirt.</p><p>He only noticed how fast he had been walking when he caught sight of the wall towering in the distance. It should take less than a few more minutes of walking to bring him right next to the wall. He mentally prepared himself for the fight that was about to happen: he would need to take care of the guards and go through that damned thing without anyone noticing his presence. If they did, then he might have to take care of way more than just a few guards. As he approached the wall, he noticed something odd. Everyone was gone. His hands tightened on his sword. There was no way that patrols left this specific section of the wall unprotected. Shinra knew he was coming. Goosebumps erupted on his skin as he slowly moved forwards.</p><p>He was tense from the anticipation, but a friendly voice rang just a few feet to his left.</p><p>”So, where do you think you’re going?”</p><p>His SOLDIER reflexes almost caused him to send a bolt of lightning towards Aerith, but he was able to pull it off just in time. The lightning struck a tree instead and burned it to a crisp. Guilt instantly filled his stomach, but her playful laugh removed it as quickly as it came.</p><p>”Don’t scare me like that. You know my little heart can’t handle it.”</p><p>Zack tried to add a laugh to make the moment less awkward, but it came out stiff and unnatural. He was still worried that there were guards somewhere. Aerith saw his concerned gaze and reassured him.</p><p>“I took care of all the guards before you arrived.”</p><p>He lifted an eyebrow questionably as she enthusiastically showed him her staff.</p><p>“Do you like it?”</p><p>He slowly smiled and lowered his sword.</p><p>“I guess if you know how to defend yourself, I can finally take a break.”</p><p>Zack let out a huge yawn as Aerith punched him in the shoulder. They both laughed a bit, and Zack prepared himself for what was going to happen. He must convince her to stay at home. He must keep her out of this. Deep inside, he knew that she was strong. He knew that she would never give up. She would never let him go by himself.</p><p>But he had to try.</p><p>”Aerith.”</p><p>“Look, Zack, you can’t keep lying to me.”</p><p>That remark caught him by surprise. He felt his face burn up as he quickly averted his eyes from hers. He was expecting her to argue with him, and he was already preparing his arguments to keep her away. He had a whole speech prepared. Instead, he stood there, awkwardly looking at the ground, unable to say anything.</p><p>“I can’t live my life if I can’t be sure that you won’t just disappear one day to another. Once is enough for a lifetime.”</p><p>Each word felt like weights dropping on his shoulders. He felt his legs starting to shake as his nightmare haunted him once again. His heart raced as he argued with himself.</p><p>He felt her hands caressing his face. She pulled his head up, and she forced him to look at her face. That made him choke up. He tried to turn away, but her steady hands kept him there.</p><p>”I need you to promise me you’ll never lie to me again.”</p><p>He couldn’t promise that. He’ll break it the moment they know Cloud’s fate. Either running towards Nibelheim or Shinra HQ. He can’t give her false hope. He can’t promise something to just take it away the next day.</p><p>He was trembling.</p><p>“Please…”</p><p>He felt his resolve loosen up in his heart. After everything that he went through, who was it for? Looking at her in pain made everything fade to oblivion. What wouldn’t he give to live his life out, peaceful and undisturbed, next to Aerith?</p><p>Her hands were driving him mad. He felt every part of his body screaming at him to look away from her, but he couldn’t. They stared at each other, wordlessly, Zack trying to convince himself and Aerith living off of hope.</p><p>He felt his body break apart when Aerith herself started tearing up. Before he could react properly, her arms already fell limp to her sides. The pain on her face was distinctive, and it hurt Zack profoundly. Somehow, he finally found the courage inside of him as he caught her face before she could turn away.</p><p>”I promise.”</p><p>The next few minutes passed quietly as Zack debated his decision, but there was no turning back now.</p><p>”I promise to never lie to you.”</p><p>The words barely left his mouth as Aerith leaned in. Everything seemed to go in slow-motion as their lips locked. He felt anything like this. Every part of his body burned with desire. Nothing could stop them, as they pulled each other closer and closer, trying to bring each other as close as possible. The only thing that he needed was her, and the only thing she wanted was him. They stayed together, clinging onto each other, not wanting to let go as they methodically tasted each other.</p><p>They stayed together for the good portion of the morning, making up for all the years they missed. When their lips finally broke, they were both panting from all the excitement. Aerith slowly put her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat, as Zack inhaled the sweet scent of her hair.</p><p>“I love you.”</p><p>Zack looks at her face, gently moves her hair and kisses her.</p><p>“I love you too.”</p><p>Zack would have given everything to stay there for the rest of his life, but he couldn’t afford that. There was time for everything once they saved Cloud.<br/>________</p><p>The smell hit them first. The corpses no longer sat there, but the smell itself has not entirely vanished yet. They obviously tried to bomb it all to ashes, but they did an awful job. There were pieces of flesh thrown around. Shinra didn’t seem to be bothered by it, but Aerith was disgusted. Zack saw her grimace and immediately asked her to stay back if it was too much for her. He was only looking for his sword and Cloud after all. She didn’t accept the offering at first, but her weak footing and nauseated looks made Zack force her to stay back. It was his burden to carry after all.</p><p>He looked around and couldn’t find his sword nor Cloud. His memory was still vague due to the blood loss, but he would be able to recognize where he left Cloud and his sword even if he was half dead.</p><p>He felt more and more nauseated as he looked. The smell of rotting corpses didn’t help either. He could barely make it back to Aerith before he vomited what was left of yesterday’s lunch. The rancid smell choked him as they slowly made their way back to Midgar.</p><p>Aerith didn’t ask. She saw it all in his face when he came back. Desperation. Madness. Guilt. Sadness. All mixed up in a tiny little package. She knew she had to face the worst, but it would be better for him to think a bit before she asked him about the details.</p><p>He did think about it. He thought about his promises. To both Cloud and Aerith. He already broke one, he can’t afford to break the other. He had to keep it, no matter what happens.</p><p>He thought about his plan on the way back and was thankful that Aerith didn’t press him when they arrived back home.</p><p>He needed time to think things through.</p><p>Once they finally arrived home, Aerith escorted Zack to the bathroom, telling him to take a shower before coming back down.</p><p>She started working on their meal.</p><p>_______</p><p>Zack took his time alone to plan things carefully, but no matter how much he thought about it, he just became more and more hopeless. He could only hope that Cloud was at Nibelheim, because if he wasn’t…</p><p>What could he do then?</p><p>If Cloud wasn't at Nibelheim, where else could he be?</p><p>He sighed a bit.</p><p>He could only get that sort of information from Shinra HQ. He'll have to break into the most secure place in the world. Even if he knew that he would be able to manage it, he would rather not.</p><p>That sort of maneuver would take way too much time to plan out and execute, and time wasted here was time he couldn’t spend with Aerith.</p><p>He sighed a bit as he left the bathroom. Living off of hope isn’t something that he likes, but what else could he live off of?</p><p>Aerith was waiting downstairs and waved happily at him. They both sat down next to each other as they enjoyed the food.</p><p>“Zack, what’s your plan to rescue Cloud?”</p><p>He was caught by surprise, but he was glad that she brought it up.</p><p>“I’m leaving for Nibelheim tomorrow. Might arrive back home within two days.”</p><p>He felt his body lighten up. No more pretending. No more lying. No more. </p><p>”So what’s your plan once you arrive?”</p><p>“What is there to explain?” He gave her a grin before continuing. “I’m going to find Cloud.”</p><p>“How are you going to get there? How are you going to afford the Chocobo?”</p><p>He hesitated a bit before answering. He obviously didn’t want to tell her about the colosseum, but his promise was way too fresh in his mind for him to forget. No more lies.</p><p>“I’m planning to win a few fights in the colosseum tonight. I should get enough money to afford food and the Chocobo.”</p><p>He was expecting a frown from Aerith, but he only got a smile in response. She looked relieved as she caressed his face again.</p><p>”I’m glad that you didn’t lie.”</p><p>It was just a test. She knew that he had been at the colosseum. Zack’s baffled look caused Aerith to giggle a bit.</p><p>“You came back exhausted and with a new sword. Where could you have gotten the money? A normal job?”</p><p>Aerith knew him way too well.</p><p>“Smartypants.”</p><p>She punched him again as she laughed.</p><p>“We, unfortunately, don’t have all day to bicker. We already spent the entire morning doing that.”</p><p>“Aww, I thought were just getting started”</p><p>Aerith gave him a playful punch as they both laughed a bit. </p><p>Aerith gave Zack a small kiss.</p><p>“Finish up, We need to get going soon.”</p><p>Zack finished his meal and helped Aerith wash the dishes.<br/>_______<br/>The fights weren’t hard, but he learned that he would make a lot more money if he didn't rush them. The audience wanted a show after all. He had to drag out every single fight. After a few hours, he was already tired: holding back was a lot more exhausting than normal fighting.</p><p>He sighed as he was matched, once again, with a couple of bandits. He doesn’t understand why the only matches that he ever got into were super easy. He might want the gil, but these fights are boring him to his core. He needed to entertain the audience, but nowhere in the rules specifically said he couldn’t have fun himself. Maybe getting a steamy match could provide the audience with more entertainment, but it was sadly not his call to make.</p><p>Suddenly a loud blast ran through the colosseum.</p><p>The blast barely fazed him as the opponents tripped over themselves and fell on the ground. He sighed a bit. That’s the kind of people he was up against. He looked up at the audience and saw some of them were taking phone calls and some others leaving the stage. When his attention went back to the bandit, he saw a flash of light. The screen that normally announced the opponents had a red headline scrolling around the screen.</p><p>“Mako Reactor 1 in flames. Currently searching for a group of terrorists by the name of Avalanche. If you come across any suspicious activity, please report it to the authorities.”</p><p>Blood drained from his face as he realized what might have happened.</p><p>Aerith sells flowers there. She always went there.</p><p>The bandit obviously didn’t grasp the gravity of the situation as he charged Zack. He caught him off guard, but it wasn’t really something he should be proud of. Zack’s SOLDIER reflexes caused him to send a bolt of lightning in his direction, spontaneously vaporizing him.</p><p>Zack didn’t have time to waste.</p><p>He was waiting for the gate to open, but after a few seconds, he had enough of it. He took out his sword and tore a giant hole in the middle of it. He needed to know if she was safe.</p><p>Once he finally arrived at the reactor, he felt dread fill his heart. The explosion scattered the debris everywhere, and Aerith was nowhere to be found.</p><p>“Aerith!”</p><p> </p><p>He found a flower in the rubble. He looked at it closely and realized that it was a tulip. It was one of the types of flowers Aerith grew in church. Once he made notice of it, he started panicking even more. He kept digging in the rubble and wasn’t able to find anything. Every second that passed made him more and more desperate for news. She was strong, and the Turks couldn’t let her die. Anger slowly replaced his desperation.</p><p>“Aerith!”</p><p>He searched through the sectors 8, 1 and 2 twice before finally admitting defeat. He let out his anger on a group of guards patrolling the area. There were only two logical explanations: either she was at the church waiting for him, or the Turks took her in by force. She most likely hasn't died, but he couldn’t really rule out anything.</p><p>He only knew a bit less than half of the Turks, and he knew that only a handful of them really cared about him. The worst part is that he could picture all of them taking her away. Aerith was too important to have their friendship get in the way.</p><p>______</p><p>He stumbled his way back to the church. When he didn’t see Aerith, he felt his self control slowly leave his body. She must be home. She needs to be home. </p><p>He felt his nightmares slowly taking over his mind. He slowly stumbled towards the flowers, silently hoping that it would help him cope. </p><p>Inhale. </p><p>Exhale. </p><p>The scent of flowers flowing through his nose.</p><p>He could mourn yet. </p><p>He didn't hear her come in. Her touch caused a spasm through is body as he jumped up, drew his sword and brought it up to her jugular.</p><p>“Holy shit!”</p><p>It was Cissinei. She never saw Zack like this before as she almost tripped.</p><p>“Cissnei, nice to meet you again.”</p><p>His self-control surprised him. He never thought that he could keep his calm in this situation.</p><p>“Hi? I’m just here to tell you something.”</p><p>Zack’s voice was normal, but his eyes betrayed his calm voice. Cissnei took notice and tried to talk as little as possible as to not aggravate him.</p><p>“Where’s Aerith?”</p><p>Cissinei exhaled a bit. He was just worried about Aerith.</p><p>“Don't worry, Aerith is safe at home, waiting for you to come back from the colosseum.”</p><p>Zack let out a sigh of relief as he lowered his sword. She was one of the few Turks that would never lie to him.</p><p>“Are you sure?”</p><p>“I brought her there myself.”</p><p>His rage slowly burned out as he pulled Cissnei in for a bear hug. He knew from experience that she hated that and grinned as she tried to get him off.</p><p>“It’s good to know that you don’t want to kill me.”</p><p>“It’s also good that you didn’t kill me.”</p><p>They both shared a laugh.</p><p>“What did you want to tell me already?”</p><p>“We got the papers done and they sent me to talk to you about it. We were sorry that you almost died and that we weren’t able to help you, so we decided to help you two now, by faking your deaths. “</p><p>Zack stiffened up. He couldn’t believe what she was saying. </p><p>“You died on the cliffs next to Midgar, and she died in the reactor explosion. Do you know what that means? They allowed us to destroy all the documents and papers related to you both.”</p><p>Cissnei could help stop herself from smiling as she finished up. Zack's expression explained everything. </p><p>“Since you and Aerith are both officially dead, we were also permitted to remove all surveillance from you two.”</p><p>She paused for effect. </p><p>“You two are now officially ghosts.”</p><p>Once Cissnei was finished, she waited patiently for his response. She waited a bit, but then realised that Zack was just comically exaggerating and prolonging his initial grin. Cissnei sighed a bit. </p><p>"You know, I got things to do as well right?" </p><p>Zack let go of his comically enlarged grin and laughed a bit. </p><p>"I know, that's why I did it" </p><p>Zack didn't just feel happy. He felt exaltation. They are finally free from Shinra. They could live out their lives without having to fight at every turn they took. He was finally free.</p><p>He pulled Cissnei in one last time.</p><p>“Thank you. For everything.”</p><p>"As soon as you don't show your face in public, we won't have any problems."</p><p>Zack was still overtaken by happiness and wasn't able to move, but Cissnei was slowly getting worried. The longer she took, the quicker Shinra would notice something going on. It would be believable if she took more than an hour to scout sector 1. </p><p>Even if she loved watching Zack paralyzed in shock, she needed to end it quickly. </p><p>"Don't you have a girlfriend now? Chop chop!"</p><p>Zack laughed nervously before finally waving her goodbye. He took his belongings and slowly stumbled his way out of the church, emotions clouding his mind. Cissnei laughed a bit when she saw Zack trip as he ran out of the church.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'mma be honest here.</p><p>I finished chapter 3 like a week ago, but I just could really revise it because my brain just sorta died in the middle of my second read-through. It didn't really help since I was writing an essay about the effect of cell-phones on youth (stupid french teacher), so my brain was like: those two words won't work together because FoRmAlItY.</p><p>Anyways my brain is back into fan fiction writing and not into super formal argumentative essays, so I hope to be able to squeeze out a few extra chapters before my finals.</p><p>Thanks for reading and I hope you have a better school year than me. :D</p><p>(Next chapter NSFW, so little children close your eyes and skip it) :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. *NSFW* Are you sure?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Do I have to change the rating to explicit or does mature work for this? I'm still new to fanfic writing.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zack’s heart raced as he ran towards Aerith’s house. The seconds it took Aerith to open the door were the worst. He could feel the anticipation and euphoria building in every bone in his body. When she finally opened the door, he could stop himself as he pulled her in and kissed her.</p><p>A gasp left her mouth as he took that opportunity to slip his tongue inside of her mouth. She let out a moan as his tongue explored her mouth. She felt her passion pool as they kept pulling each other closer and closer.</p><p>She knew that Elmyra was coming home soon, but she couldn’t stop herself. Desire filled her every sense and clouded all of her rationality. She felt her heart race as all her concerns faded away. She wanted him.</p><p>”I want you.”</p><p>She felt his hands slowly caressing her back, every inch of her skin screaming for him. Zack almost hesitated as he didn’t expect it to go out of control so quickly.</p><p>He felt his throat tighten up. He was barely able to get a whisper out.</p><p>”I want you too.”</p><p>She caught onto his uncertainty as she pounced back into his mouth. He groaned as her tugging and touch made everything feel so good.</p><p>He didn’t expect this.</p><p>Everything happened so quickly. Way too quickly.</p><p>They were both panting as he pulled her in. He felt her aroma slowly but surely turned his brain into mush. Every breath that he took intoxicated him.</p><p>After a bit, he looked into her eyes.  All the moments they were able to spend together were short-lived as Shinra always chose the worst times to give him assignments. </p><p>He looked at her carefully, inspecting every last detail on her face. He brushed her hair off of her face as he kissed her again. His damn self-restraint kept him from doing anything more romantic.</p><p>"I got news."</p><p>"Can it wait until later?"</p><p>He stared at her, confused at what she meant</p><p>"Zack...I… I want..."</p><p>Her voice died off as she turned away from him. Even if she wasn't facing him, he could feel her blush. He felt his jaw drop when he realized what just almost left her mouth.</p><p>"Aerith, are you sure? Elmyra will come home soon."</p><p>"Zack... I... I never realized how much I missed you until you were taken away."</p><p>He felt his breath speed up.</p><p>"I cried a lot, you know. I kept thinking that... you decided to leave, that you decided to leave me. I know that it's petty, but I fell in love for the first time in my life. I never loved anyone else, and when you were gone, I thought that it was just my childhood all over again. I know it’s stupid now, but I… want to know what really loving someone feels like.”</p><p>He saw tears starting to pool in her eyes. She brushed them off before he got a chance.</p><p>"And now, you're leaving again. You're leaving me again. We never had a chance to make our relationship matter, and if you get captured again, we might have to wait another decade before...”</p><p>Those words struck him right in the guts. He thought that she was always this happy and positive, but he should have known. He pulled her in a hug. He couldn’t speak, but everyone knows that actions speak louder than words.</p><p>Her tears started to fade as she let a small smile creep back onto her face.</p><p>"I want you. I want no one but you.”</p><p>The desire that he was barely able to hold back decided to resurface. He swooped her up and kissed her once again.</p><p>"I'll show you how much I love you."</p><p>With one hand holding her steading in his arms, he caressed her face before trailing kisses from one side of her face to the other, lingering on her lips. She felt his lips tug at hers, causing her to respond with the same amount of enthusiasm.</p><p>He felt his ribs starting to hurt due to her weight, but he kept his posture, giving her nothing to worry about. It was her night.</p><p>He moved up the stairs, to finally reach her room.</p><p>They only broke when he lowered her onto her bed. He removed her shoes and slowly unbuttoned her dress, making her blush at his touch. He knew that it wasn’t meant to be unbuttoned, but he just wanted to make this single moment last forever.</p><p>He needed to make this a night that she would remember.</p><p>Her skin was soft and sensible, and Zack’s hands drove everything out of her mind. She felt his hands roaming around every single one of her buttons, and that just left her hoping for more. She felt moisture slowly accumulating near her womanhood, and realizing that Zack did this to her caused her face to turn even redder than before.</p><p>She sighed in relief when his hands massaged her breasts over her bra. She never felt this close to someone else, and she was lucky that it was Zack.</p><p>He slipped his hands into her dress, swirling around her breast. Aerith gasped a bit at the unfamiliar sensations. She never did this, nor did she ever have the opportunity, but she loved it.</p><p>With any other girl, Zack would have stripped her bare within seconds. But not with Aerith. He savoured every touch, every breath. He acknowledged that a part of him going slow could have been because of her constant teasing. He might just want a bit of revenge for all the times she left him wanting for more.</p><p>Zack leaned down and kissed her before slipping his fingers on top of her hard nipples. He pinched a bit, causing Aerith to squirm under his touch. He felt her quivering in their kiss and groaned in satisfaction.</p><p>He slowly started a rhythm around her nipples. He had one of his hands circling and pinching one of her breasts, and he used his mouth for the other, sucking and biting. She felt something familiar growing inside of her as she half-heartedly struggled against his relentless assault.</p><p>Every moan that came out of her mouth made him more and more determined to make her quiver with just his touch.</p><p>She soon reached her limit. She could feel the effects of her orgasm in full as she moaned Zack's name.</p><p>He used the few minutes that she needed to calm back down to remove his pants and shirt, leaving a bit of extra space for his erection to breathe in. Once her orgasm finally calmed down, he continued to undress her. Her sensitive skin made her shiver at his touch. Zack was purposely brushing his erection against her pelvis, making her blush redder and redder. Noticing her red cheeks, he slowly moved his head up to kiss her once again.</p><p>“Enjoying yourself?”</p><p>The only answer that he needed was her damp underwear. He laughed a bit as Aerith blushed even harder. His touch caused her to soak right through her underwear.</p><p>"You want this really badly, don’t you?"</p><p>“You’ve been teasing me for the last…”</p><p>He fitted his lips onto her mouth, stopping her from finishing her sentence.</p><p>“Just relax, let me handle it.”</p><p>She stared at him angrily for a bit before his touch broke her resolve. She quickly stopped pretending she was angry and went back to trembling under his touch.</p><p>He unbuttoned the last few remaining buttons and opened her dress, revealing the entirety of her body. He groaned as he felt her body's effect on him. What he would do to release the pressure building up inside. He groaned as he drove his attention back to her body, knowing that he wasn't done yet.</p><p>He would hopefully get his reward once he was done.</p><p>He slowly approached her underwear, but her scent overwhelmed his senses. He always thought she smelled good during their kisses, but this was something else. He approached her and slowly breathed it in. He could feel his erection tugging against his underwear, but it was way too good for him to stop.</p><p>She felt his furious breaths against her and moaned once again. She wanted him so badly.<br/>
Zack slowly removed her underwear, finally revealing her fully. He wanted to give in to the lust, but his rationality forced him to climb back up to silently ask her one last time.</p><p>Her face said it all.</p><p>A smile reached his lips as he gave her a small peck on the lips. She moaned when he trailed kisses down her naked body. She gasped as he lingered on her breasts, giving each of them a little bite and a pull.</p><p>Every single kiss made her drip more and more from anticipation.</p><p>She let out a mixture of a gasp and a moan as he rubbed her clit with one of his fingers. The feeling of his finger rubbing and thrusting combined with the constant nagging of his mouth made her shiver.</p><p>A moan left her lips when she felt something wet, taking his finger's place. Every single lick felt like electricity coursing through her veins. She reactively reached for Zack's hair, tugging and pulling, trying to get him closer and closer. She felt her breath quicken as Zack reacted positively and accelerated.</p><p>He slid his finger into her wet slit to massage her insides. Moans erupted from her lips as she twirled and twisted. She was getting close again.</p><p>The familiar feeling of hopeless swept past her as she came on his fingers. He poked a bit more before climbing on top of her. He made sure that she could see him before licking her liquids from his fingers.</p><p>He loved seeing her blush.</p><p>Leaning in, he pushed his tongue back into her mouth. She tasted herself on his lips, causing her to moan again.</p><p>She pulled him on her naked body. Her touch caused his erection to grow even harder. He hesitated a bit. He didn’t want to rush her. She noticed his hesitancy and giggled.</p><p>"Is this how you treat a woman? I thought you liked me."</p><p>"Are you sure?"</p><p>Zack was worried. The effects of lust slowly wore off as he felt rationality pool back.</p><p>"What do you think? I'm still naked, you know."</p><p>He felt her hands tighten around his erection. He groaned a bit.</p><p>She couldn't stop herself as she rolled him on his back. She kissed him tenderly before taking a condom from a nearby drawer. He looked at her in surprise as she explained.</p><p>“I waited for a long time as well.”</p><p>It was her first time so she didn't really know how to put it on. He held back a laugh as she turned it around, trying to find a way to open it. She struggled a bit more before finally giving up and giving it to Zack. She felt her face heat up as she looked away. So much for pretending</p><p> Zack saw the concern on her face. </p><p>He slowly reached up and rubbed her cheeks.</p><p>"Just so you know, I enjoyed it a lot. You don't have to do this."</p><p>She shook her head violently. If he were to leave, she wanted this memory to last forever. She took a few deep breaths before going in.</p><p>She gasped as his member completely filled her up. She never thought that it would feel like this. It was hard, but gravity helped her slowly wiggle her way down. It took a while, but she eventually stopped. She panted as she took a small break to catch her breath again.</p><p>He reached up and caressed her face.</p><p>"You're doing... good."</p><p>She looked into his eyes and giggled weakly. He looked so cute when he groaned. She purposefully wiggled a bit to look at him groan even more.</p><p>"Stop, you're killing... me here."</p><p>Aerith laughed.</p><p>"Patience is a virtue you know?"</p><p>"I've waited for almost five years, I think I'm patient enough."</p><p>Aerith felt her jaw drop a bit. All the pain and emotions started to come back in. Zack realized his error when he saw her smile and joy drop. He tried to take it back, but Aerith was too quick for him.</p><p>She knew that all that matters was this moment and this moment alone. Everything else could wait until later. Before Zack could talk, Aerith bent down to kiss him, choking the unsaid words back into his chest.</p><p>"It's nothing. Just enjoy the moment."</p><p>He felt her slowly moving again. Her tight corridors cramped around his erection, causing him to start groaning all over again. She laughed as she accelerated the pace. </p><p>He felt his mind and self-restraint melting away at her touch. He couldn't stop himself as he reached up to play with her breasts. He was determined to make her come one last time.<br/>
She started moaning when she felt him pinching and pulling on her nipples. She started trembling as his touch made her feel so good.</p><p>"S-s-stop, I... I... I can't focus."</p><p>He grinned as he started taking the lead.</p><p>"Then don't."</p><p>He pulled her head in his chest and started to push into her. She gasped and moaned as his erection rubbed against a spot deep inside of her. He was right. She didn't have to focus. She just had to enjoy his touch.</p><p>She felt his hands make his way back to her crotch and massage her clit. She felt his mouth take her’s as she started to feel the same thing she had felt twice already. That delicious feeling crept into her chest as she pushed her tongue into his mouth.</p><p>She wasn't able to hold it back when she felt his hand pinch her clit. She collapsed on his chest as she moaned his name. The feeling of her flesh contracting around him caused him to break as well. He let out a grunt as he whispered her name.</p><p>They stayed together, Aerith still on top and Zack with his hands always around her back. They both breathed in the mixed smell in the room. Aerith laid her head into his chest.</p><p>"Did you like it?"</p><p>Zack's voice made her feel giddy. She looked up and kissed him.</p><p>"I loved it."</p><p>She saw the corners of his mouth curl up.</p><p>"I told you that you would."</p><p>He kissed her back. Tenderly.</p><p>"How do we explain this to Elmyra?"</p><p>Zack pulled away for a bit, realizing how Elmyra probably heard them from a mile away. He thought of her face when she’ll confront them about waking up all the neighbours. The thought made him cringe a bit.</p><p>"We don't. Easy."</p><p>She laughed.</p><p>They stayed there a bit more, looking into each other's eyes.</p><p>She pulled him in.</p><p>"Stay."</p><p>He rolled her to the side and put his hands around her head. She rested her head on his chest.</p><p>It took quite some time for him to remember the Turks and why he was so happy in the first place.</p><p>"Hey Aerith, do you want to hear the good news?"</p><p>When she didn't respond, he tilted his head to take her. He laughed a bit when he realized that she was already asleep.</p><p>Guess it'll have to wait until tomorrow.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It took me way too much time and effort to do this. :(</p><p>I really suck at writing smut (not that I'm much better at anything else), so sorry to disappoint all of you horny kiddos. :D</p><p>At least I now know to not try to write smut.<br/>Ever. </p><p>:D</p><p>(Back to my normal "Have a nice day!" speech)</p><p>DoN't FoRgEt To LiKe AnD sUbScRiBe FoR oCcAsIoNaL tExTs. ElBoW rEvEiL aT 200 mIllIoN SubS (yes I'm going insane)</p><p>Have a nice day and don't forget your seat belts!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. What am I?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He woke up a few hours after dawn.</p><p>He let out a grateful groan as he felt his body rejuvenating. All the rest worked like magic on his body and his joins, making the normally stiff movements easy to perform. He almost felt as if it was just a normal day after a normal mission.</p><p>He looked around and saw Aerith still sleeping. A smile crept on his face as he brushed her messy hair out of her face.</p><p>She lazily opened her eyes at his touch. </p><p>“Are you awake?”</p><p>She groaned a bit before closing her eyes again.</p><p>“No.”</p><p>Zack laughed a bit.</p><p>“Time to get up. It’s almost 10. You can’t keep your flowers waiting, can you?”</p><p>Aerith groaned again and turned around, causing another laugh.</p><p>“Don’t bring the flowers in this. I watered them yesterday.”</p><p>Holding back yet another laugh, he stroked her cheeks with his fingers.</p><p>“I have some good news for you before I leave.”</p><p>She slowly opened her eyes and peeked at Zack.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“You know the Turks right?”</p><p>“You mean the ones that are stalking us all day?”</p><p>Zack laughed a bit, coaxing a smile out of Aerith.</p><p>“Yeah, sounds like the Turks I know. ”</p><p>“What about them?”</p><p>“Well, I am friends with quite a few of them... “</p><p>“And you let them stalk us?”, Aerith chirped in. “I thought you liked privacy.”</p><p>Zack felt a bit awkward as she threw a little punch his way, but Aerith just laughed it off.</p><p>“I know that you can’t tell them what to do, I was just messing with you.”</p><p>Zack pulled his tongue out at her before continuing. </p><p>“Ok, so I’m friends with them and they decided to do us a small favor.”</p><p>“Oh, did they finally decide to let us be?”</p><p>Aerith meant it as a joke, but Zack looked at her in awe.</p><p>“How did you know? I didn’t mention anything yesterday did I?”</p><p>Aerith felt her jaw drop.</p><p>“Are you serious? They just decided to let us be?”</p><p>Zack finally realized that she only meant it as a joke, but it was a bit too late. He groaned a bit at his gullibility.</p><p>All of his feelings disappeared as Aerith lunged into his arms and hugged him.</p><p>“They decided to leave us alone?”</p><p>Zack could feel the hope in her voice.</p><p>“They did something even better than just leaving us alone, they decided to fake our deaths. Shinra doesn’t even know we are alive.”</p><p>Aerith felt her heart pound faster and faster. No more surveillance.</p><p>She couldn’t believe it.</p><p>“Are you sure?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>Aerith looked at his face, trying to find some sort of malicious lie.</p><p>She couldn’t find anything.</p><p>They stayed quiet for a bit.</p><p>“If you’re lying to me, I swear I’m going to punch you.”</p><p>He slowly raised his hands around her head, holding her in.</p><p>“I’m not. They came to talk to me yesterday night. That’s why I was so excited.”</p><p>It took her a bit of time to finally process the information.</p><p>“Aerith.”</p><p>“Yea.”</p><p>Her voice died off. She didn’t believe him. Shinra would never do that. There is always a catch.</p><p>Nothing good ever happened.</p><p>“I should leave soon. It takes almost half a day to get there.”</p><p>She couldn’t hold him back any longer. Cloud needed him more than she did. The quicker he starts the journey, the quicker he’ll come back. </p><p>And the quicker they'll be able to be happy.</p><p>“Do you want me to come with you?”</p><p>Zack’s heart skipped a beat.</p><p>“No! Of course not!”</p><p>Aerith brushed his cheeks.</p><p>“Don’t need to be so defensive. I was just thinking that I would help you finish up quicker.”</p><p>“Your flowers need you more. What would they do if you don't water them for a few days?”</p><p>She groaned and punched his shoulder.</p><p>“I hate it when you use my flowers against me.”</p><p>“But seriously, your mother would worry a lot. And when we come back, we both know that I’ll be a dead man within a night, tops.”</p><p>Aerith laughed since he was right.</p><p>“Alright.”</p><p>She cupped his face and kissed him tenderly.</p><p>“Just do me a favor and don’t die.”</p><p>He felt her concern as she brushed his face one last time.</p><p>“I won’t, I promise.”</p><p>_____</p><p>He stopped when darkness fell.</p><p>Maybe a bit of sleep would help him finish up quicker.</p><p>He fed the chocobo before tying him to a nearby tree. He slumped down next to him and patted him a bit. It was nice having something next to him, even if it was just a chocobo.</p><p>He thought about Aerith. He never thought that he would be so close to happiness. Maybe it’s time to retire.</p><p>A new warm feeling crept into his stomach.</p><p>What would he do afterwards? After everything is done? </p><p>He never thought about the future. He never thought that he would have a future. Especially with someone like her. </p><p>Costa del Sol.</p><p>He slapped himself when he caught himself picturing her in a bikini. He was so embarrassed that he kept slapping himself until he was able to move on.</p><p>Gongaga maybe. Show her his family and repay her for her hospitality.</p><p>He felt the warm fuzzy feeling take over.</p><p>Golden Saucer.</p><p>It would be fun to see what she thinks of all the lights. Maybe he could get her to go on rides with him. It would be almost their first true date.</p><p>He thought about all the attractions. What he would do to have her go onto a horror ride with him. </p><p>He was blissfully calm when he fell asleep on the side of the road.<br/>_____</p><p>He saw the facility in the distance.</p><p>Bile filled his mouth. </p><p>He never thought that he would be back here anytime soon. It reminded him of what sort of stuff they might have done to them.</p><p>He spent a few hours inspecting the place. It was a lot more protected than what he thought. Even more protected than when he broke out. There were guards patrolling almost all day and night and there weren't any exposed weaknesses in the fortress. He even saw a few SOLDIERs lurking around.</p><p>He groaned a bit. He knew that it wouldn’t be easy, but security quadrupled and quintupled over just a few weeks.</p><p>On the bright side of things, Cloud must be in there. Why else would there be so much dang security. </p><p>“Cloud, I really hope you’re in there.”</p><p>_____</p><p>It took him an hour or so to clear out the facility. He found weapons, documents, even fucking lab dogs but...</p><p>He couldn’t find him.</p><p>He couldn’t find Cloud.</p><p>He searched everywhere but he still couldn’t find him.</p><p>Shit.</p><p>What the hell were they protecting here? </p><p>The staff there didn’t even know who Cloud was. They must be fucking lying. There’s no goddamn way.</p><p>Now what would he do?</p><p>Why can’t things be done the easy way?</p><p>Why isn’t anything ever easy for him?</p><p>Letting out a pained scream, he threw himself into a wall.</p><p>Again<br/>And<br/>Again</p><p>Until it broke under his force. It took a few walls to finally calm him down, but eventually, he was able to think again.</p><p>Time to go back.</p><p>Time to go home.</p><p>Time to go talk to the Turks.</p><p>He cleaned the blood off of his sword and threw it back on his back. </p><p>He made a mental note to clean it when he came back.</p><p>_____</p><p>He knew that something was wrong when he came back home. He saw the silhouettes from the windows. They didn’t even bother covering up their tracks.</p><p>Four silhouettes. </p><p>Did the Turks lie to him? </p><p>They probably expected him to come back later.</p><p>He let out a tiny chuckle. At least they tried. </p><p>He knocked on the door and prepared to beat the absolute shit out of them. He was not prepared when he saw Cloud holding up his own sword to his throat.</p><p>He instinctively disarmed him and threw him across the room. He didn’t even have time to say sorry when the two other figures jumped him. </p><p>“Elmyra! Get out!”</p><p>He dodged the guy shooting at him and punched him in the guts, causing him to stutter and fall on the ground.</p><p>He wanted to leave it to that and go help Cloud up, but was interrupted by the woman. She sent a strike that connected directly in his temple, causing a wave of pain in his body. He roared in surprise and prepared himself to send a bolt of lightning towards her. He gasped in surprise when he finally saw her face.</p><p>“Wait, aren’t you Tifa?”</p><p>She changed. A lot. He saw her slowly drop her first when she realised who he was.</p><p>“Shit, how are you alive? How did you escape Hojo? Oh, I have so many questions for you.”</p><p>The big guy started to get up and looked at them questionatively.</p><p>“Your friend?”</p><p>His voice was deep and smoothing. For such a guy with a gun as an arm, he was surprised to find something caring and sensible behind it.</p><p>“Not really.”</p><p>He looked at Tifa in mock hurt.</p><p>“Hey! I thought we were bonding when we got our asses handed to ourselves by Sephiroth.”</p><p>He laughed a bit, but stopped awkwardly when she didn’t return it.</p><p>“Alright back to serious talk, what are you three doing in Aerith’s house?”</p><p>“How do you know who Aerith is?”</p><p>He wasn’t prepared to hear Cloud reply. He turned around quickly and looked at him in surprise. </p><p>“Shit I’m sorry! How hard did you hit your head back there!”</p><p>“Not that hard, but you’re dodging my question. How do you know Aerith?”</p><p>He felt shivers going down his spine. Cloud wasn’t right. </p><p>“I literally talk to you about her every single day, ever since we became friends.”</p><p>“I don’t even know who you are.”</p><p>_____</p><p>It took a bit of time for Tifa to make him understand what was going on.</p><p>“So you’re telling me that he thinks that he is me.”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“And that he met Aerith a few days ago and she didn’t even mention me.”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“And then you three went on a magical journey to Wall Market.”</p><p>“Well not really, but yes.”</p><p>“And now Aerith got kidnapped by the Turks.”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>He felt his heart drop.</p><p>“Well I guess that’s that.”</p><p>“What’s what?”</p><p>He felt anger rising up.</p><p>“What do you think? What do you think I’m going to do? Now that you dumb idiots brought Aerith to Shinra with a little bow on top, what do you think I can do? Do you know what I went through to keep her away from Shinra’s grasp? Do you know how many people I had to kill to keep Cloud alive? Do you know how many people I had to kill to get the privilege to see her again?”</p><p>He paced around angrily.</p><p>“Now I have to go fix up your fucking mistake. I have to go into Shinra HQ and take her out because you incompetent fuckers aren’t able to keep anyone safe. What did you think was going to happen when you go against Shinra? Even SOLDIERs don’t dare to step out of line, what do you think a couple of civilians are going to do against the supreme power that is Shinra?”</p><p>He took in an angry breath. He wanted to keep going but he knew that it would just be a waste of time.</p><p>He saw tears on Tifa’s face but he couldn’t care less.</p><p>“I’m going to get her back first thing tomorrow. Come if you want to come but after that, I don’t want to see you. Ever again.”</p><p>He walked upstairs to Aerith’s room.</p><p>“And tell Cloud anything that you want. I don’t care anymore.”</p><p>_____</p><p>He wasn’t surprised when he woke up in the middle of the night, panting from his nightmares. </p><p>Everything felt so real.</p><p>He couldn’t wait anymore. </p><p>He told them morning but to hell with it. He couldn’t sleep anyways without knowing that Aerith is in a goddamn lab and they would probably just get in his way. The Turks are probably paying for it too.</p><p>Those fucking dumbasses.</p><p>What DID they think was going to happen? </p><p>He left the house in a hurry, not really caring about the noise. Not that they would care enough to wake up anyways. The only person that would wake up to his footsteps was Aerith.</p><p>Aerith.</p><p>He groaned in pain.</p><p>He never should have left.</p><p>What would Hojo do to her? What could Hojo do?</p><p>Could he actually torture her? Can he poison her? Can he rip her apart to inspect her every organ before throwing her in the trash?</p><p>He felt sick, thinking of all the possibilities.</p><p>He wouldn’t dare.</p><p>It took him a bit of time before he shook his head to clear his mind. He can’t have this distraction.</p><p>_____</p><p>The guards weren’t expecting anyone to come in the middle of the night.</p><p>They were all dead before they could even raise their guns.</p><p>Zack wasn’t here to play.</p><p>He smashed the door open and rushed in. Deflecting the bullets, he ran and ran, swinging his sword like a maniac. They were all dead before they dropped to the ground. </p><p>He saw two machines in the corner of his eye. Within a millisecond of hesitation, he blasted them both with a thunderbolt, causing them to overcharge and to blow a hole in the wall. He heard the alarm going off. He only had a few minutes before SOLDIERs swarmed him.</p><p>Might as well take it into consideration. </p><p>He waited for the elevator door to open before rushing in and tearing the 2 SOLDIERs inside to pastry. He knew HQ like the back of his hands. He knew all the exits, all the passageways. His way up was only interrupted a few times, but nothing was able to even touch him. He would tear them up within a few seconds and quickly go back into the elevator.</p><p>He braced himself as he approached the SOLDIER’s floor. He prayed that the elevator would keep going up. Sadly, it wasn't the case.</p><p>He felt the elevator slowly stopping.</p><p>Shit.</p><p>Guess there’s only one way out.</p><p>He broke the doors down before they opened. The element of surprise is important. He quickly took down three Seconds before they could even reach for their guns. He felt the blood in the air as he swirled around, killing everyone in proximity. He was off before the bodies even touched the ground, slashing and blocking everything. </p><p>The smell of blood and metal grew stronger and stronger as he killed more and more. Blood sprayed onto his shirt, onto his face and the smell started choking him. He tried to ignore all the old friends that he could have killed in this bloodbath.It wasn’t time yet. They chose their side, and he chose his. Aerith’s side.</p><p>Once the last one was killed, he felt tears rising up. He could only hope that the ones that he cared about had already left the place, or hid when they heard him coming. No. He can’t think like that. What had he done?</p><p>He was a monster.</p><p>He kills without regret. </p><p>All the blood was on his hands. What made him any different than Shinra? What made him different from Sephiroth and Genesis?</p><p>He felt his legs start to wobble and clutched his head.</p><p>All the blood wasn’t helping.</p><p>No.</p><p>Aerith first, mental breakdown second.</p><p>He knew his priorities.</p><p>Aerith.</p><p>Aerith.</p><p>He was barely able to stand up anymore.</p><p>The smell was getting to him. He closed his eyes to block out the bodies.</p><p>He fumbled his way to the elevator, and pressed the buttons desperately. </p><p>Once he heard the elevator starting to move up, he crumbled to the ground and started crying.</p><p>_____</p><p>The elevator stopped at floor 59. He had to make the rest on foot.</p><p>He took in a few breaths to calm down.</p><p>He was finally aware of the blood on his body. He groaned a bit. He wouldn’t be able to get upstairs if he was completely covered in blood. It would scare everyone to death.</p><p>He spent a few minutes in the toilets to clean himself and started moving again.</p><p>Everything would be fine.</p><p>_____</p><p>It took about half an hour to find Hojo’s lab. He had to break a few walls to get there, but it was nothing he couldn’t handle. He was exhausted when he saw Aerith.</p><p>“Aerith!”</p><p>He ran into the glass, shattering it to pieces, before pulling her in a hug.</p><p>He held onto her, not daring to let her go. She felt his tears on her shoulder as she brushed his hair.</p><p>“It’s alright, I’m alright”</p><p>He responded with a broken sob. </p><p>“What did you think was going to happen? You made me worried sick.”</p><p>She hesitated, but Zack was too quick for her.</p><p>“Actually I don’t care about what happened. I don’t care about the past anymore. I’m done looking backwards. I’m looking forward from now on. What do you want to do later?”</p><p>She looked at him in surprise.</p><p>“I was thinking about the Golden Saucer. What do you think?”</p><p>She giggled a bit.</p><p>“Yea. Why not?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I finished it really quickly. My positing schedule will be most likely dead for a bit since my finals are coming.</p><p>I hope you enjoyed this!</p><p>P.S. I'm sorry for any typos/mistakes.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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